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J and Tim dig into the grunge, alt-rock, and indie albums that changed everything—the forgotten classics, the underappreciated masterpieces, and the legends worth hearing again. One album at a time. Let’s dig it out.
Episodes
Tuesday Jul 25, 2023
Tuesday Jul 25, 2023
Skirting the edges of stardom, Chris Whitley passed away far too young at 45, but left a catalog of albums more influential than they were ever popular. A wide array of artists, from John Mayer to Joe Bonamassa have lauded Whitley's playing and songwriting, so we're diving into this 1995 sophomore album Din of Ecstasy. Whereas his debut was a slickly produced blues rock album that produced a Top 40 Mainstream Rock chart hit, the follow-up sounds more in line with the happenings of the decade. The big fuzz of Dinosaur Jr. appears on "Din," while a guitar solo on "God Thing" conjures images of Soundgarden's Kim Thayil, as Whitley embraces complex guitar riffs and atmospheric production that sound both of the time and timeless. The only hitch? The album is a slow burn, and a checked-out, background noise listen won't do it justice.
Songs In This Episode
Intro - Din
22:21 - God Thing
40:06 - Know
45:20 - Some Candy Talking
59:02 - Never
Outro - Narcotic Prayer
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Tuesday Jul 18, 2023
Tuesday Jul 18, 2023
The line between rock and metal is a thin one, often based on the listener and their personal preferences. Numerous bands in the 1990s blurred the line, injecting heavy riffs and guitar tones into their sound that pushed bands like Alice in Chains and Soundgarden onto Headbanger's Ball alongside Metallica and Slayer. But other bands like Spot took their inspiration and applied it differently, like on their self-titled debut from 1995. Opening with "Drop Down," the rhythm section gallops like Iron Maiden, while the riffs on Hole draw from 80s thrash, all while the vocals shift from the boozy "L'America" to harmonized power-pop without a hitch. It's a weird, singular sound that works when it works, but limps when it doesn't.
Songs In This Episode
Intro - Ground
22:57 - Moon June Spoon
28:02 - Drop Down
33:12 - L'America
39:11 - Hole
Outro - Absalom
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Tuesday Jul 11, 2023
Tuesday Jul 11, 2023
The story of Glide is one of potential cut short with the death of lead singer William Arthur before the end of the decade. Commanding a voice with equal parts sneer and croon, the appropriately titled debut Open Up & Croon from 1995 manages to fuse a variety of sounds into a coherent vision. Jangly acoustic guitars accompany fuzzed electrics and a potent rhythm section across the twelve tracks that range from the uptempo title track opener to a wide array of moods, from the Westerbergian "Why You Asking?" to the more dramatic twists in turns on the back-half of the album like "Caterwaul" and closer "Picking At Your Paws."
Songs In This Episode
Intro - He Sees A Way
14:30 - Caterwaul
18:21 - Line
21:59 - Why You Asking?
27:43 - Spin Doctor
31:36 - Open Up and Croon
Outro - Something
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Tuesday Jul 04, 2023
Tuesday Jul 04, 2023
From the cover art for Ritual de lo Habitual by Jane's Addiction to the music videos for Jeremy by Pearl Jam or Closer by Nine Inch Nails, the 1990s were full of controversial and provocative artists and music. Whether it was rapper Ice-T fronting hardcore thrash band Body Count and their single "Cop Killer" to Marilyn Manson pushing boundaries musically and visually, there was no shortage of outrage and hysteria aimed at Gen-X musicians and their fandom. Bands and artists as varied as Tool, Soundgarden, Nirvana, Madonna, Green Day, Megadeth, NOFX, Tin Machine, Ministry, Sublime The Prodigy, Suede, Van Halen, Manic Street Preachers, Slayer and many more faced backlashes for lyrics, album artwork, videos, or just existing.
Songs In This Episode
Intro - Closer by Nine Inch Nails
25:55 - Jesus Christ Pose by Soundgarden
32:55 - Smack My Bitch Up by The Prodigy
40:52 - Cop Killer by Body Count
55:24 - Love Is a Good Thing by Sheryl Crow
Outro - Jeremy by Pearl Jam
Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon.
Tuesday Jun 27, 2023
Tuesday Jun 27, 2023
After her 1996 self-released EP was picked-up and re-released by MCA, Holly McNarland set out to make her debut album Stuff. In the wake of the success of fellow Canadian singer/songwriters Alanis Morissette and Sarah McLachlan, the table was set for McNarland to make similar waves even if the alternative rock field was getting more crowded by the day. While there is no "You Oughta Know" or "Building a Mystery" on Stuff, there is McNarland's voice, which finds the balance between on edgy angst rockers one moment and soaring pop balladry the next. Backed by a solid band, including then ex-Pixies guitarist Joey Santiago in the studio, the songs are elevated beyond straightforward singer-songwriter material to deeper depths thanks to occasional cello and synths popping in and out of tracks. But while the first half is full of knock-out material, the back half left us divided on experiments with trip-hop and Seattle grunge.
Songs In This Episode
Intro - Elmo
11:27 - The Box
17:34 - Mystery Song
23:46 - Water
31:07 - Twisty Mirror
Outro - U.F.O.
Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon.
Tuesday Jun 20, 2023
Tuesday Jun 20, 2023
The back half of the 1990s was deluged with more post-grunge bands that we can count, and cutting through the noise wasn't always easy. For bands like Black Lab, who aimed for both radio and something more interesting, that meant not reaching the chart-topping highs of bands like Our Lady Peace, Semisonic, or Live. Their 1997 debut You Body Above Me for Geffen is a prime example of making the most of the back-half album tracks, as vocalist Paul Durham takes some inventive detours with his vocals, bouncing between the emotive lead single "Wash It Away" and the more expressive attack of "All the Money in the World" or Bring It On." A cursory pass may leave the listener wondering what the fuss is about, but slap on the headphones and you'll hear some impressive choices from each instrument, playing off of and pushing each other for something more with a clear and full sound that impresses even today.
Songs In This Episode
Intro - Wash It Away
18:23 - Can't Keep the Rain
23:30 - All the Money in the World
29:15 - She Loves Me
39:52 - Sleeps With Angels
Outro - Time Ago
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Tuesday Jun 13, 2023
Tuesday Jun 13, 2023
Catherine Wheel's 1992 debut Ferment is a bonafide shoegaze classic, full of swirling guitars and ethereal vocals. For their 1993 follow-up Chrome, the band brought in Gil Norton, who had a resume boasting bands like the Pixies, Throwing Muses, Pale Saints, Echo & the Bunnymen, and more. With Norton on board, the band dialed down the waves of distortion and used it more sparingly, and a more crafted sound emerged. Harder guitar riffs, paired with Rob Dickinson's chameleon-like voice that could deliver throaty shouts and crooning coos, edged the band towards a more refined sound without leaving their shoegaze roots completely behind. The end result is a exceptional transitional album before the band would fully embrace a harder edge on their third album Happy Days.
Songs In This Episode
Intro - Crank
26:22 - Chrome
34:22 - Ursa Major Space Station
47:57 - Fripp
Outro - Show Me Mary
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Tuesday Jun 06, 2023
Tuesday Jun 06, 2023
Dave Smalley’s been a punk rock fixture since the early ‘80s when he fronted DYS. Stints as the lead singer in Dag Nasty and ALL followed before the touring life caused him to reconsider what it meant to be in a band. In 1991, Smalley formed Down By Law, signed with Epitaph Records, and released six full length albums before the decade was done and another four in the 2000’s with the most recent being 2021’s Lonely Town. In addition to Down By Law, Smalley currently lists Dave Smalley & The Bandoleros and Don’t Sleep on his punk rock resume, the latter of which is releasing their fourth album, See Change, on June 2.
Songs in this Episode:
Intro - Promise Made by Don't Sleep
9:41 - Still Waiting by Dag Nasty
Outro - Denim and Leather by Down By Law
Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon.
Tuesday May 30, 2023
Tuesday May 30, 2023
Many, many years ago, we checked out the 1997 debut album Elsewhere For Eight Minutes by the Melbourne, Australian trio Something For Kate. Thanks to a Patreon patron we checked out their 1999 sophomore follow-up Beautiful Sharks to hear the evolution of the band. Whereas the debut offered some catchy alt-rock, Beautiful Sharks is a more subdued yet intricate album, putting new bassist Stephanie Ashworth on display as the guitars back-off to allow more space for lead singer/guitarist Paul Dempsey to weave intricate vocal and musical melodies. The result uniquely combines alt-rock that forgoes volume for dynamics and speed for tension.
Songs In This Episode
Intro - Beautiful Sharks
10:51 - Before Butterfly's Wings
16:41 - Big Screen Television
23:55 - Electricity
Outro - Easy
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Tuesday May 23, 2023
Tuesday May 23, 2023
We're as shocked as anyone to be talking about a Kylie Minogue album, but here we are thanks to a Patron. If you're a 90s grunge and alternative fan, chances are your exposure to Kylie is limited to her late 80s cover of "The Loco-Motion" or her earworm early 00s hit "Can't Get You Out Of My Head." But after growing tired of the musical restrictions of her pop success, Minogue explored collaborations with artists like Nick Cave and the Manic Street Preachers in the mid-90s. The end result is her 1997 album Impossible Princess, still full of dance and pop singles, but with very deliberate attempts to stretch into new sounds. Trip-hop, electronica, trance, Britpop and more are explored, making for a diverse if sometimes uneven album.
Songs In This Episode
Intro - Too Far
15:09 - Dreams
21:05 - Some Kind Of Bliss
28:02 - Cowboy Style
32:37 - Drunk
Outro - I Don't Need Anyone
Support the podcast, join the DMO UNION at Patreon.